They may seem similar, but playing nickel and playing cornerback were drastically different responsibilities for Jimmie Ward.

As the primary nickel defensive back during his first two seasons, Ward often played in zone coverage working in the slot, allowing him to key on one area of the field and read the eyes of the quarterback. As a cornerback on the outside, which Ward played extensively last season for the first time, his focus was mostly on the receivers in front of him in man-to-man techniques.

“I respect anybody who plays corner in the NFL and especially do it at a high level, because it’s hard,” Ward said.

The 49ers are moving Ward again for the third time as he enters his fourth season. He’s the new free safety in first-time coordinator Robert Saleh’s scheme.

Ward’s responsibilities include roaming the deep portion of the field while reading everything that happens in front of him, including the quarterback’s wondering eyes. He won’t be locked on a receiver like a cornerback playing man-to-man. Ward will be playing a deep zone, which allows him to be himself.

“I love it man. I can really move around. I can play sideline to sideline. It’s fantastic,” said Ward. “I used to always love zone and when I was playing nickel, I’m thankful.”

The 2014 first-round pick is behind his teammates as they transition to Saleh’s new 4-3 scheme. Ward’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury that came the day before the start of training camp during a conditioning test.

Ward throughout training camp watched practice from the sidelines where he would confer with his teammates between reps. But his real work has come in the film room and meeting rooms. Ward said he’s kept six or seven notebooks filled with details about the new defensive scheme, techniques and tendencies of upcoming opponents, including Week 1’s foe in the Carolina Panthers.

“I’ve been watching Cam Newton, watching his eyes. Just watching who he targets the most,” Ward said, who listed Newton’s offensive weapons, including his explosive new running back, Christian McCaffrey.

Ward said he’s known the ins and outs of the new system since OTAs in June. His absence from the practice field has prevented him from timing his breaks and working on his angles of pursuit. That’s the biggest adjustment to his new role on the back end of the defense.

“Playing middle-third safety is a very instinctual position. You’ve got to be able to see it. To me, the hardest part is being able to track and tackle,” Saleh said.

“Coming out of the middle hole, when the defense gets creased and it’s him and the (running back) one on one. That’s the hardest tackle in football in my opinion. Those are the reps that he hasn’t gotten. Because, even when we’re not live every one of those reps are so important to those guys. To put themselves through that mental strain of every rep being a tackling rep.

“That, to me, is going to be the hardest part. To make sure that his angles, and his angles in pursuit are perfect. But, as far as the instinctual part, understanding offense and where he needs to be. I think he’ll be smooth in transition.”

Ward will have to prove durable, which is a concern as he learns the new role. Manning the middle of the field will mean more high-speed collisions. He spent the end of last season on injured reserve with a broken collar bone. Ward’s listed at just 193 pounds and will be tackling players larger than him in most cases.

Ward’s missed 13 games over his first three seasons, including the second half of his rookie campaign when he sustained a second Jones fracture in his foot after previously breaking it leading up to the draft.

If there’s a positive to take from Ward missing Sunday’s game in Minnesota, it’s that it allows more reps for undrafted rookie Lorenzo Jerome, who is likely to get his third straight start of the preseason.

Jerome is third on the team with five tackles and appears to have a strong hold a 53-man roster spot.

“I think that’s a great person to talk about,” Kyle Shanahan said this week. “He’s gotten a lot of reps out there with the injuries down and stuff. I think he’s taken advantage of his reps.”

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